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The Origin of Backgammon

Almost everyone of us are familiar with the backgammon game. However, have you ever asked yourself about the origin of the game? Backgammon has a very unique history dating back 5000 years ago. In fact, it is known as the oldest game in the world. This game started during the ancient times, particularly in Mesopotamia which is now known as Iraq. Backgammon is derive from the words "back" and a Middle English word "game", which means game.

The ancient Romans were very fond of playing the game, however, the game that they know of is "Tabula", which is a little bit different from the backgammon game that we know as of today. Tabula means board or table, since at that time, the game is being played using a special board. Tabula do have a little resemblance with Senet, an Egyptian game dating back in 3000 BC.

Tabula is very similar to the backgammon game that we know today, expect for some tiny discrepancies. In this game, the players use the same game board as that of the tabula, and the players are given 15 pieces to go on with the game. The main objective of the game is also the same with tabula. Players must be able to move all their pieces from the game board to b able to win. The difference of tabula from backgammon is that, during the ancient times, no single piece is allowed on the game board at the beginning of the game. It is only allowed to stay on the board after rolling a dice. During those times, players use three dice instead of using two only. The rest of the game mechanics remain the same.

Today, there have been some recent excavations in the country Iran showing that another form of backgammon was played back in 3000 BC. There were some artifacts found like two dices along with sixty pieces that seem to look like the same as that of the things us ed in a backgammon game. The are believed way older than the backgammon set found in the ancient Mesopotamia.

In out generation today, backgammon is now one of the most popular casino games. It is a game that requires a little bit of skills, and a little bit of luck. Players compete with one another. The rules of the game are very simple which is why a lot of players are enticed in playing the game.